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Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 14672

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Cheryl Lohr

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Guest Editor

Department Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Biodiversity Conservation Science, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia
Interests: wildlife management; invasive vertebrates; adaptive management; systematic conservation planning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The impact of humans on nature is felt in every corner of the globe. Many of our impacts are large, entrenched in politics, and beyond the scope of any single conservation organization. As researchers, we tackle some of these problems by developing hypotheses, experiments, and models. We make management recommendations and raise the next hypothesis. Then, we are confronted with concepts such as the research–implementation gap, inconsistent funding from management agencies, and changing priorities that can undo decades of work.

To further complicate sustainable wildlife management, attempts to conserve predatory native species and reduce iconic introduced species are frequently met with stakeholder conflict. Stakeholder conflict can be wide-ranging and pernicious, especially when it is left unaddressed.

To be effective, nature conservation requires a wide array of biological and ecological knowledge and expertise. We need to draw on our knowledge of species’ distribution, behavior, and interactions with other species and the abiotic environment in order to design management actions. To be cost-effective, nature conservation requires time, planning, and consistent action towards a strategic goal. To be sustainable, nature conservation must not harm, or it must improve the social, economic, and environmental aspects of an area.

Sometimes our greatest successes in sustainable wildlife management are the unexpected outcome of an eclectic group of scientists and practitioners. Sometimes they are well-planned projects with legislative backing or philanthropic commitment. Sometimes the most rigorously planned and implemented projects are terminated by one unexpected factor. The lessons from these projects, may they succeed or fail, are what we need in order to design the next project.

With that in mind, we are inviting submissions for a Special Issue on Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management. Papers can address emerging trends, provide innovative methodological approaches, and/or challenge current assumptions in thinking about wildlife management and sustainability. Priority will be given to those articles that explicitly address the research–implementation gap through changes to policies, programs, business incentives, or standard operating procedures.

Topics may include:

Systematic conservation planning;

Sustainable human–wildlife interactions;

Sustainable wildlife use;

Sustainable ecotourism;

Establishment of sustainable income streams for Indigenous people;

Examples of industrial, military, agricultural, or urban environments that are sustainably conserving native species, managing threatening processes, or otherwise benefiting biological/ecological knowledge through their presence.

Dr. Cheryl Lohr
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

terrestrial wildlife
threatened species
introduced species
pest control
predation
systematic conservation planning
human–wildlife interactions
urban environments
sustainable wildlife use
adaptive management
development
ecotourism
multi-criteria management
threatened species
translocation
wildlife management

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1263 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Consideration of Wildlife in the Benefit-Costs of Hydraulic Fracturing: Expanding to an E3 Analysis

by Jennifer A. Caldwell, Christopher K. Williams, Margaret C. Brittingham and Thomas J. Maier

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4811; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084811 - 17 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2806

Abstract

High-volume hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale (underlying about 24 mil ha in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia) has become a politically charged issue, primarily because of concerns about drinking water safety and human health. This paper examines fracking in the Marcellus region, and the tradeoffs between the energy and economic potential of natural gas extraction and the environmental impacts on wildlife. Therefore, we introduce a new E3 analysis that combines the costs and benefits as regards energy, economics, and the environment. The Marcellus Shale has the most proven reserves of natural gas of any basin in the United States, at 129 trillion cubic feet. Income from natural gas development comes primarily from direct and indirect jobs, and induced jobs (those created when direct workers spend their earnings in a community), taxes and fees, and royalty and lease payments to rights holders. Fracking, however, has detrimental effects on wildlife and wildlife habitats. Terrestrial habitat effects are primarily due to landscape fragmentation from the clearing of land for pipeline and well pad development, which often removes mature forest and creates open corridors and edge habitats. An increase in forest edge and open corridors is associated with shifts in the bird community, as generalist species that do well around people increase in abundance, while forest specialists decline. Invasive plants associated with disturbance further degrade forest habitats. Aquatic habitats are also affected, both directly and indirectly. Hydraulic fracturing requires up to 20 mil L of water per well fracture, most of which comes from surface water sources in the Marcellus region. The removal of water, especially in smaller headwaters, can increase sedimentation, alter water temperature and change its chemistry, resulting in reductions in aquatic biodiversity. Given the reality that hydraulic fracturing will continue, there is a need to develop practices that best minimize negative impacts on terrestrial and aquatic habitats, as well as policies and the resolve to enforce these practices. To achieve a more sustainable balance between economic, energy, and environmental costs and benefits, we recommend that industry, scientists, non-governmental organizations, mineral rights holders, landowners, and regulators work together to develop a set of best management practices that represent the best knowledge available. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management)

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13 pages, 1674 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Advancing Wildlife Policy of Eastern Timber Wolves and Lake Sturgeon through Traditional Ecological Knowledge

by Hannah L. Schley, Ilene F. West and Christopher K. Williams

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3859; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14073859 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2521

Abstract

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is becoming more prominent in wildlife management decisions and policy making. The cooperation of TEK and Western science paradigms have been beneficial for conserving our natural resources and wildlife populations. However, there are still concerns with accepting TEK as part of wildlife management, policy, and regulations. With increasing challenges to wildlife conservation, it is vital to implement Indigenous TEK to form more robust and holistic approaches to wildlife management. Here, we present two case studies in the upper Midwest region of the United States involving the Ojibwe tribe that show the importance of TEK collaboration and how that knowledge can be used for the betterment of ecologically sensitive species—lake sturgeon and eastern timber wolves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management)

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11 pages, 238 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Using Different Migratory Game Bird Hunter Types to Explore Drivers of Support for Hunter Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation Policies in North Carolina, USA

by Elena C. Rubino and Christopher Serenari

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3820; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14073820 - 24 Mar 2022

Viewed by 1362

Abstract

Policies designed to retain, recruit, and reactivate hunters have been developed to stimulate a range of motivations, although knowledge of which hunter types are more driven by various motivations remains deficient. To help fill this gap, we use survey responses from two types of migratory bird hunters in North Carolina as a case study to better understand hunter attitudes towards and motivational drivers of support for/opposition against the Sunday hunting of migratory birds. The results indicate that support for the legalization of Sunday migratory waterfowl hunting was driven by the importance of including as many weekends as possible each season, beliefs about increasing youth participation, and the potential for economic benefits, whereas opposition was driven by the importance of providing time for waterfowl to rest from hunting pressure. Opposition to the legalization of Sunday webless migratory bird hunting was driven by the belief that legalization may harm webless migratory bird populations. These findings provide agencies with an understanding of the differences in migratory waterfowl and webless migratory bird hunters’ motivations and encourage the inclusion of both social and ecological motivations when designing recruitment, retention, and reactivation policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management)

8 pages, 227 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Public Support for Large-Scale Commercial Axis Deer Harvests in Maui, Hawaii

by Elena C. Rubino and Christopher K. Williams

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1837; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031837 - 05 Feb 2022

Viewed by 1564

Abstract

Commercial harvests have been effectively employed to manage wildlife populations across the world. Although commercial harvesting of the nonnative, invasive axis deer (Axis axis) in Maui, Hawaii, occurs at small scales and only on private lands, there is potential for large-scale implementation to be used as a population management tool. To investigate local stakeholder interest in a hypothetical, large-scale commercial harvest of axis deer, we used an online survey of individuals and businesses in Maui to analyze their attitudes towards axis deer populations and management, their experiences with axis deer, and potential to utilize axis deer venison and products, as relevant. We found evidence of public support for commercial harvesting to be employed as one of the many tools available to manage axis deer populations. Additionally, we documented support on both the supply-side and demand-side for axis deer-derived products that may be available if large-scale commercialized harvesting were implemented. We leverage these results to contribute to conversations about commercial wildlife harvesting in the United States by challenging assumptions that the practice is inconsistent with the public’s perceptions of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and suggesting policies and programs that would ease axis deer commercial harvest growing pains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management)

13 pages, 1304 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Feral Cats in the Subtropics of Australia—The Shamrock Station Irrigation Project

by Michael Thomas Lohr, Dave Algar, Neil Hamilton and Cheryl Anne Lohr

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1373; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031373 - 25 Jan 2022

Viewed by 2109

Abstract

Environmental damage caused by the intensification of agriculture may be compensated by implementing conservation projects directed towards reducing threatening processes and conserving threatened native species. In Australia, feral cats (Felis catus) have been a ubiquitous threatening process to Australian fauna since European colonisation. On Shamrock Station, in the north-west of Western Australia, the Argyle Cattle Company has proposed intensifying agriculture through the installation of irrigation pivots. There is concern that irrigating land and storing agricultural produce may indirectly increase the abundance of feral cats and European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on the property, which in turn may negatively impact threatened bilbies (Macrotis lagotis) that also inhabit the property. Feral cat control is required under the approved management plan for this project to mitigate this potential impact. Our baseline study revealed a high density of feral cats on Shamrock Station (0.87 cats km⁻²) and dietary data that suggest the current native mammal assemblage on Shamrock Station is depauperate. Given the high density of feral cats in this area, the effective control of this introduced predator is likely to confer benefits to the bilby and other native species susceptible to cat predation. We recommend ongoing monitoring of both native species and feral cats to determine if there is a benefit in implementing feral cat control around areas of intensive agriculture and associated cattle production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management)

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14 pages, 1486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Habitat Changes on Elephant Mortality Associated with Human–Elephant Conflict: Identifying Areas of Concern in the North Central Dry Zone of Sri Lanka

by Chase A. LaDue, Sarah M. Farinelli, Imira Eranda, Chandana Jayasinghe and Rajnish P. G. Vandercone

Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13707; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132413707 - 12 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3071

Abstract

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is becoming increasingly prevalent as human activity expands, and monitoring the impact of habitat quality on wildlife mortality related to HWC is critical for the well-being of wildlife and people. Using ten years of necropsies from free-ranging Asian elephants in the Northwestern Wildlife Region (NWR) of Sri Lanka, we quantified the effect of habitat quality on human–elephant conflict (HEC) (i.e., human-caused elephant mortality), hypothesizing that both artificial (e.g., forest cover loss) and natural (e.g., water availability, temperature) changes would be associated with elephant mortality. We collated necropsies from 348 elephants that died due to human activity from 2009 to 2018, comparing the results with data on forest cover loss, perennial water, rainfall, temperature, and human population sizes. Over the study period, we found that forest cover loss was significantly correlated with human-caused mortality in a district-specific manner. Similarly, access to perennial water and precipitation levels appeared to influence mortality, but not temperature, human population density, or percent land cover used for agriculture. We conducted emerging hot spot analyses to identify areas within the NWR that should be prioritized for protection, which included landscapes that are not currently protected (approximately 43% of the hot spots we identified). Similarly, areas that we identified as cold spots included many areas with minimal forest cover loss. Together, our results emphasize the impact that human activity can have on the measurable outcomes of HEC. We suggest that adaptive HWC management strategies that use retrospective analyses should inform any potential changes to the protection of vital wildlife habitats, such as the north central dry zone of Sri Lanka. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Conservation Planning and Wildlife Management)

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